Filing cabinet elevator



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United States Patent O 3,351,510 FILING CABINET ELEVATOR Edward P. McDermott, 5136 N. 2nd St., Phoenix, 85012 Filed Mar. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 541,464 1 Claim. (Cl. S12-312) ABSTRACT F THE DHSCLOSURE A multiple section storage cabinet which can be elevated and lowered at will so as to present a desired cabinet unit at a convenient location for access.

This invention provides an adjustable cabinet comprising a frame member and a carriage member mounted on the frame member for vertical, reciprocal motion thereon. A stack of containers are mounted one above another on the carriage member. Each container in the stack has an individual horizontally reciprocatable mounting on the carriage member. A source of reversible power is mounted on either the frame member or the carriage member and is connected by drive connection to an elevating means. The elevating means has one operating part mounted on the frame member and another operating part mounted on the carriage member so that when actuated, the elevating means moves the carriage member either up or down within the frame member.

Multiple unit cabinets, of which conventional ling drawer cabinets are a typical example, are normally Stacked five and six units high with the units so arranged that they have a permanently iiXed location. In the average conventional filing cabinet arrangement this means that the lower tiling drawer always opens and closes near the floor, the uppermost tiling drawer always opens and closes at the top of the stack and the other filing drawers at their respectively located positions. It is inconvenient and time consuming to stoop everytime the lowermost tiling drawer is to be used. Where the cabinet is of full height, the uppermost ling drawer may be too high for many persons to see into as well as to make use of, and even when not so high as to be inaccessible use of the highest of the ling drawers is frequently inconvenient. This often necessitates having a small step ladder or stool located conveniently to make the highest of the filing drawers usable.

Moreover, space in oilices as well as elsewhere is often at a premium and stacks of cabinets, of which ling cabinets and the like are typical, must be kept compact so that as many of them as possible may be confined to a relatively limited area while at the same time making the arrangement such that access in some manner or other can be had to all of them at any timel It is among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved adjustable type cabinet section which can be manipulated in such fashion that anyone of a multiple number of vertically stacked containers can be moved to a desired position where access can be had to it most conveniently.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved multiple tiling cabinet having vertically stacked containers of such construction that any selected container can be moved to any desired vertical position while at the same time making possible use of a full stack of containers.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved vertically adjustable type multiple container cabinet wherein substantially a minimum of structural frame work is employed to mount the containers of the cabinet within a space of the size usually occupied by a conventional cabinet, the multiple features of the cabinet Patented dan. 2, 1953 including the source of power and drive therefrom being simple in its design, rugged in its construction, and easy to service and maintain.

The invention is not limited to lling cabinets and may be applied to any other normally fixed shelf or bench, and accordingly, still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved multiple type vertically adjustable unit in an arrangement such that any selected element of the unit can be moved to a desired position, the arrangement being such that it accommodates usual and necessary safety controls without any substantial alterations in the design or construction.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a front perspective view of the multiple adjustable cabinet.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional View taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 5 is a top perspective view of the base of the carriage.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a second form of the device.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 7 7 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 6.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration there is shown a multiple tier adjustable cabinet indicated generally by the reference character 1t) shown supported upon a supporting surface 11. The cabinet comprises a frame consisting in the main of four columns 12, 13, 14 and 15 at four corners of a base indicated generally by the reference character 16, 'Ihe base may be constructed of four angle sections 17, 18, 19 and 20 diagonally braced by plates 21. Similar angle sections 22, 23, 24 and 25 braced 4by plates 26 form the upper end of the cabinet. The columns 12 and 15 are spaced apart to form an opening at the front of the cabinet.

A carriage indicated generally by the reference character 27 has a rectangular shape in cross-section slightly smaller than the interior of the cabinet, as formed by inside corners of the columns 12, 13, 14 and 15 which, in the embodiment shown, are inwardly opened angle sections.

The carriage comprises a chassis 3i) shown in perspective view in FIGURE 5 upon which rest side wall sections 31 and 32, a rear wall section 33, a top 34, a bottom 35, and a front section 36. Mounted within the side wall and rear wall sections is a stack of individual containers or le drawers 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41. These containers or drawers may be conventionally mounted as are the usual tile drawers so that they slide forwardly and rearwardly on a horizontal slidable -mounting of conventional sort so that they can be pulled out when access is to be had to the interior at the top of each respective drawer. Drawer pulls 42 may be employed.

The chassis 30 in the present embodiment consists of a forward beam 43, a rear beam 44 and side beams 45 and 46. At opposite ends of the forward beam 43 are lugs 47 and 48. Similar lugs 49 and 50 are provided at ends of the rear beam 44. In each lug is a threaded hole 51.

For the respective lugs 47, 48, 49, and 5@ are respective threaded shafts 52, 53, 54, and 55. Each of the shafts 52, 53, 54, and 55 are substantially identical and consists of a thrust bearing end 56 at the bottom arid a journalled bearing end 57 at the top. A thrust bearing 5S on the base 16 is provided at the bottom to mount the thrust bearing end 56 and a journal bearing 59 is provided at the top of the frame in plates 26 to accommodate the journalled bearing end 57. Each threaded shaft is in threaded er1- gagement with the respective threaded hole 51 at the appropriate corner of the chassis 30. One of the guide clips l54 on the carriage is shown in the cut-away portion of FIGURE 1 for guiding movement of the carriage in the respective columns.

At the bottoms of the shafts, respectively, are sprockets 60, 61, 62, and 63, the sprockets being keyed non-rotatably to the respective shafts. The sprockets together with the respective shafts may be provided with friction minimizing roller bearings 64. To provide power for elevating and lowering the carriage is an electric motor 65. The motor is mounted upon a motor base 66 in turn supported by the angle sections 18 and 20. A vertically driven shaft 67 is appropriately mounted in a conventional fashion upon cross members 63 spanning opposite sides of the motor base 66, the driven shaft having a worm gear 69 mounted thereupon. A motor drive shaft 7i) is provided with a worm wheel 71 in driving relationship with the Worm gear 69 whereby, when the worm gear is rotated, in response to action of the motor 65 a chain drive 72 in engagement with a sprocket 73 on the shaft 67 and the respective sprockets 60, 61, 62, and 63, serves to drive Vall of the sprockets simultaneously and their respective threaded shafts 52, 53, 54, 55.

The motor is a reversible drive motor and is adapted to be operated by employment of a treadle 75 which can be the manipulating lever for a substantially conventional three position switch 76 interconnected electrically to the motor 65.

To improve the ease by means of which the chassis and the drawers carried thereon can be moved up and down each of the columns 12, 13, 14, and may be provided with channel elements 77 and 78 of the type illustrated in FIGURE 4 for example. The channel elements 77 and 78 provide in each instance a slideway 79 extending for the full height of each column. An angle section 80 attached to the respective corner of the appropriate side wall section 31 or 32 as the case may be has its leg 81 overlying a slot S2 at the side of slideway 79. A roller 83 is rotatably mounted upon a stub shaft y84, the stub shaft in turn being secured by appropriate washers 85 and 86 and a nut -87 to the leg 81. As many rollers 83 and corresponding mountings may be provided as will be needed for the height of the stack of containers employed.

In operation, with the stack of containers 37, 38, 39,`

40, and 41 at a lowermost position as shown in FIGURE 1 let it be assumed that the uppermost container 37 is at a convenient optimum vertical position. When the operator desires one of the lower containers to be elevated the operator merely activates the treadle 75 causing the motor 65 to be energized to rotate in a forward direction driving the chain drive 72 in a direction such that when the threaded shafts 52, 53, 54, and 55 are rotated the threaded relationship of the threaded shafts with the threaded holes 51 raises the chassis 36. If the lowermost container 4t) is the container to be opened, the operator merely permits the carriage to rise to its highest level at which an automatic shut-off (not shown) may be employed to stop the motor. The container 41 may then be opened, the contents inspected, the container closed and the stack of containers then lowered by again tripping the treadle 75. The stack of containers may continue again to the lowerrnost level until an automatic cut-olf of conventional construction (not shown) acts to stop reverse rotation of the motor 65.

Should some other container, such as the container 39 for example, be neded, the operator after initially tripping the treadle again trips the treadle 75 when the'container 39 has reached a desired level. The tripping may be interconnected in a substantially conventional way to stop operation of the motor 65 at the selected level. When it again becomes time to lower the stack of containers, the treadle 75 is tripped for a third time causing reverse rotation of the motor 65 to move the stack of containers to initial lowered position.

lf after inspecting the contents of the container 39 the operator wishes to raise the stack still higher after it has been stopped, the treadle 75 may then be tripped three times in succession which will cause the conventional three position switch 76 to pass through successive stages of lowering, stopping and then again elevating the stack, in which event the stack will continue to elevate until either stopped by the operator again tripping the treadle, or upon the stack reaching the uppermost position. Three position switches of the kind made reference to and identified as v the switch 76 are substantially conventional and available for operation of the nature herein described.

Moreover, due to the simple structural relationship of the various parts herein described, additional electrical precautions of a conventional nature can be readily built into vthe cabinet making it necessary for example to have all containers closed before the motor will operate, making the up-circuit nulliiied by the down-circuit and vice versa, and making the operation such that the carriage can be stopped at any desired elevation, between an established minimum and maximum height.

The arrangement also lends itself to one wherein as a safety feature against tipping only one drawer at a time can be opened.

Although the area around the motor 65 is wide open in the embodiment shown, it is an area which can be readily closed by appropriate panels (not shown) removible to provide ready access to the motor and other moving parts. Also because only the chassis is interconnected with the drive, the chassis may be provided with any number of containers within the capacity of the machine without there being any change needed in the basic construction of the device. Moreover, when there becomes any need to interchange containers to substitute containers of different size or construction, the containers can be readily lifted from the chassis 3.9 `and replaced with others, without alteration of the other structural parts.

In a second embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 6, 7, and 8, the device structurally is substantially the same except that a motor 90 is mounted on top of the carriage 27 and carried by the carriage as it moves up and down. The motor is supported by an appropriate motor base 91 which is properly secured on the top 34 of the carriage 27 by appropriate structural means. A drive shaft 92 of the motor rotates a worm wheel 93 in turn meshing with a worm gear 94 attached to a sprocket 95. Adriven shaft 96 is journalled in a cross member 97 which forms part of the motor base 91. A chain drive 9S in operating engagement with the sprocket engages respective sprockets 99, 100, 101, and 102. The sprockets are all identical and each in turn is both slidably and non-rotatably mounted upon the respective threaded shafts 103, 104, 105, and 106. The mounting of the sprockets on the shafts is illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8 where the mounting of the sprocket 99 on a threaded shaft 103 is typical. As shown, the threaded shaft 103 has a key-groove 107 extending for the full length of the shaft. A key 108 on the sprocket 99 tits slidably in the key-groove 107 but the key and key-groove interlock fastening the sprocket 99 non-r0- tatably to the threaded shaft 103. The threaded shaft 103 is otherwise identical in its mounting in all respects to the threaded shafts 52, 53, 54, and 55 described in FIG- URES l through 5, inclusive, of the first form of the invention. A Z-section 109 secured to the bearing section 111 by appropriate conventional means provides a bear 75 ing plate 110 which cooperates with the bearing section 111 in turn mounted over the top 34. A hole 112 in the bearing plate 110 is in axial alignment with a hole 113 in the bearing plate 111 and the threaded shaft 103 passes rotatably through these holes. Friction minimizing bearings 114 and 115 assist in rotatably mounting the sprocket 99 between the bearing plate and bearing section.

In this form of the device when the motor is operated, the chain drive 98 rotates the sprockets 99, 100, 101, and 102 simultaneously, all in the same direction, and the sprockets being non-rotatably keyed to the respective shafts rotate the shafts. As the shafts rotate they thread their ways into the threaded holes 51 of the chassis 30 and elevate or lower the chassis as the case may be depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor 90. Because the chassis and consequently the stack of containers on the chassis are moving up and down as the threaded shafts rotate the sprockets 99, 100, 101, and 102 must also move up and down. This they are permitted to do by reason of the fact that the keys 108 slide freely up and down in the key-grooves 107.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable cabinet comprising a frame member having four columns positioned at the respective corners of a rectangular base, four threaded shafts positioned adjacent to and parallel with the respective columns, said shafts being rotatably mounted respectively in a journalled bearing at the top end and a thrust bearing at the bottom end, said shafts being longitudinally fixed on said frame member, a carriage member having a chassis mounted Within the area bounded by said columns, said chassis having four lugs, each of said lugs having a threaded hole therethrough, each of said threaded holes being in threaded engagement with one of said threaded shafts, said carriage member being movable vertically responsive to rotation of said shafts, a stack of containers mounted one above the other supported on and movable with said carriage member, each container of said stack having an individual horizontally reciprocatable mounting on said carriage member, a sprocket non-rotatably mounted on said shafts, a reversible motor mounted on one of said members, a chain drive between said motor and said sprockets, a slideway at each column, a plurality of rollers attached to said carriage member and received in said respective slideways and a three-Way switch on said cabinet in operative association with said 4motor whereby to effect raising, lowering, and stopping of said carriage member in response to operation of said reversible motor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,249 2/1893 Reynolds 3l2-3 l2 X 710,561 10/1902 Boyd 10S-147 X 1,354,973 10/1920 Hicks 312-312 1,943,280 1/1934 Arnold 108-147 2,447,606 8/ 1948 Wine 312-312 2,478,145 8/ 1949 Weber 312--312 2,531,925 11/1950 Taylor et al. 312-312 JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner.

DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner. 

